Problem-solving approach to dispute resolution

On this page

What is conflict?

Conflict occurs when 2 or more parties disagree about a particular issue or course of action, and is an inevitable feature of any workplace.

Conflict can arise over matters such as:

work health and safety

rights and entitlements

allocation of work

performance management

or simply different values or ideas.

Conflict can be between individuals or groups, and can escalate into a dispute when it’s not resolved early or carefully.

The Commission’s New Approaches: Cooperative and productive workplaces jurisdiction provides parties with tools to approach dispute resolution from a problem-solving perspective that focuses on each party's interests and seeks to resolve conflict through agreement.

A problem-solving approach to dispute resolution

Problem-solving is a consensus-seeking approach that can be used in almost any situation. It is a way of working things out that has practical implications for how decisions are made and how disputes may be prevented or resolved.

The joint problem-solving approach steps through the following processes:

identifying the issues in dispute

identifying stakeholders in the dispute, as well as their interests

collecting information

generating options

developing criteria for assessing options

selecting and trialling options

implementing a solution and monitoring progress.

By applying the principles of joint problem-solving, employers, employees and their representatives can:

uncover solutions that may not otherwise have been considered

prevent future disputes from arising

increase the acceptance of changes at work

minimise the cost, inefficiency and damage often incurred through conventional dispute resolution processes

reduce stress and frustration felt by those involved in a dispute

deal with issues themselves more quickly and with a greater degree of control

provide an opportunity for active engagement and for voices to be heard.

A joint problem-solving process enables management, employees, unions and other stakeholders to generate solutions together. As a tool, it can be applied to a particular problem, or it can become an integral characteristic of the organisation's culture.